LATE 17TH CENTURY

Details

AN ITALIAN CARVED MARBLE BUST OF A WOMAN
LATE 17TH CENTURY
On spreading white marble socle, the white marble head set into coloured marble-veneered shoulders, minor restorations to veneer
26 in. (66 cm.) high, the bust; 32½ in. (82.5 cm.) high, overall

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

The practice of combining white and coloured marbles was inspired by antiquity and revived in Italy in the 16th century. In the case of busts, the head was usually executed in white marble with the shoulders clad in expensive and exotic coloured marble as seen here. The cost of quarrying and transporting these marbles usually resulted in the shoulders being constructed of a stone carcase which was then veneered. Often, an antique head was set into later, coloured shoulders although the head and shoulders of the present bust appear to be contemporary.

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